Chapter 59: The Apple vs The Protector

He didn’t know what to say. He never thought he would see the day where he would find somepony with such a harsh experience. He hated this knowledge of her past, and he regretted ever asking her about it.

He cringes in shame when he looks at her. She shed no tears, but she is the most depressed that she has ever been in a very long time. It would be psychological torture for a mare if they had a miscarriage, and even more so, if their husband and father of the foal was killed beforehand. He couldn’t imagine the pain that she must be feeling.

Dusk feels that it is a good time to apologize to the school teacher. “Cheerilee, I’m sorry that I made you go through all that. I truly regret what I have done to you, and I hope that you could forgive me for what I have done.” His voice sounds of pure sadness and regret, as he apologizes to her. He is trying his hardest to put his thoughts into words. “I am truly ashamed of my actions and... ugh, I’m just repeating myself now. I think you understand what I’m trying to say though.”

She nods once. “I understand. Now you should know why I don’t want to be in a relationship with Big Macintosh.”

“But of course. I would probably be the same if something horrific happened to Fluttershy.” And he knew he would. There would be too many bad memories for him to pursue another relationship, if he ever wanted to.

“Often, when I see a couple and a stallion with their foals, I think back to what happened to me. Scars never heal, and this also applies to the emotional kind. I have never forgotten about what happened, even if I did end up ‘repressing’ the memories.” She starts to perk up, because she starts to smile. “And to answer your original question, yes, I will ask Big Mac of Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“What question?” He couldn’t recall himself ever asking a question that could be answered like that.

“Knowing Big Mac, he asked you to see if you could convince me to go on a date with him.” She is startlingly accurate.

“How’d you-”

“I stayed around him for long enough to learn what he is like. He can be quite predictable at times, and he is quite shy at times.”

Dusk’s eyes shoot up, after figuring out what she meant before. “So... you are going to ask him out during Hearts and Hooves Day.” (In three weeks time)

“Yes, I am, but make sure that you don’t tell him about my plans. It’s supposed to be a s” She stresses the final point, just as a precaution.

“Got’cha Cheerilee.” The mood in the room has lifted considerably. It is a nice change. “Do you think that you’ll be alright, considering that your students will be arriving in about an hour?” He didn’t want her to randomly breakdown during the class.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. I just... need a few minutes to myself now. Could you make sure that you don’t tell Mac about what happened with Blitzkrieg and I. I’ll tell him when I’m ready.”

“Yeah, I understand.” He is good at keeping other ponies secrets, so she had no need to be worried. He gives her a wave goodbye as he leaves, and she does so in kind.

----------

Dusk is walking in the marketplaces of Ponyville, browsing the various wares of the set up stores. He only browsed around in the food section of the marketplace, because he never got the chance to eat breakfast at the Sweet Apple Acres like he normally does.

He met Carrot Top, as her carrot based stall, but he didn't buy anything from there. He doesn’t really feel like carrot based goods at the current moment. He passes through numerous food stands, with no intention of buying any of the food. He then passes a stand which makes both the stall owner, and the dark blue stallion double take.

Quick Note: Zeph is gonna hate me for this.

“Dusk, wha’ are ya’ doin’ out here?! Ya’ should be workin’ at the farm, not stuffin’ around in the markets.” Needless to say, she is quite annoyed by the fact that he wasn’t applebucking back at Sweet Apple Acres. If only she knew... ‘Time to bend the truth a little bit.’

“Uh... I came here because Big Mac said that I could take a quick break for the job, and since I didn’t eat any breakfast, I came here so I could get something to eat.” He technically isn’t lying, so he knows that Applejack couldn’t pin him with her skills as the Element of Honesty.

“Hmm... seems kinda fishy to me, but ah can see that ya tellin’ the truth.” She concedes.

‘Thank Celestia, I don’t want to tell her that I went and saw Cheeri-’

“But ah would like tah’ know why ya’ didn’t eat at the orchard.” She says accusingly, putting Dusk on the spot. [4 Psyche Locks appear]

[Play Music]

-Dusk’s Secret-

“Well uh... he said that there was no food there for me to eat.” He is starting to feel the heat.

“OBJECTION!” She points her left forehoof at Dusk. “Ah happen to know tha’ there is plenty of food for you tah eat at the farm. Why, ah could prove it you right now.” She sounds extremely confident in herself.

“You... you can? Well then, show me.” He says with a hint of challenge in his voice.

“TAKE THAT!” She hoofs a red apple from her stand to him. “Wha’ is this Dusk?”

“It’s an... apple?” He didn’t know if this was meant to be a trick question.

“Eeyep, and all of these apples on mah stand came from the farm, therefore, there was food ya’ could’ve eaten at the farm, since we grow em’ all.”

‘Oh... right...’ [*SHATTER* 3 Psyche Locks remaining]

“So...” Applejack forces her hooves down on her stand, making an audible *slam* noise. “Why did ya leave the farm?”

‘Thinking, thinking, damn it think...’

“Applebloom.” Says Dusk.

“Wha?”

“When I first arrived at the farm, I saw Applebloom run out of the orchard, and towards the town at around 6:50am. It was after Mac woke you two up, and when you exited your house. Anyway, when I saw her run towards Ponyville, I was confused as to why she needed to go to the town so early. And so to pique my curiosity, I chose to follow her, just to make sure that nothing bad would happen to her.”

Applejack had no response to his explanation, but she could feel that something is off. She wore a serious expression as she tries to find the contradiction in his explanation...

“So wha’ you’re sayin’, is that you left the farm tah’ make sure that mah’ sister was safe.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” He says nonchalantly.

“Well ah’d be proud of ya... if tha’ were true! Ah know tha’ ya couldn’t have been watchin’ mah’ sister.”

“W-w-w-WHAT!” He yells is surprise. ‘How does she know?!’

“Applebloom, could ya come over here for a sec?”

“I’mma comin’ sis.” Replies the yellow coated filly nearby. ‘Oh no. How did I not see her before?’

Applejack asks her a simple question. “When you ran off tah town this mornin’, did ya see Dusk at any point?”

“Who’s Dusk?” Applebloom has never been introduced to Dusk before, ergo she did not know that he is standing right next to her.

Applejack points at Dusk, and the Cutie Mark Crusader starts to speak again. “Oh! Oh... I never saw the ‘Protector of Ponyville’ while ah was in town. Sorry.” She speaks in a similar way to Applejack, only cuter.

This gives Applejack some ammunition that she could use against Dusk. “Well Dusk, if you were followin’ her, then why didn’t she see ya?”

“Because I was too far away for her to see me. I followed her, just so I could see what she was doing in Ponyville at the crack of dawn.” It is a convincing lie.

She still didn’t believe him though. “OBJECTION! *slam* Okay then Dusk, tell me, what was she doing in Ponyville?”

‘...I don’t know what she did, but this whole situation may depend on this decision...’

“Applebloom was setting up the apple stand early, so that you didn’t need to do as much work when you came to set it up. It was an act of goodwill on her part.” ‘Total guess.’

“...”

“...”

“...You are right Dusk, [Spirit reduced to 80%] ah told Applebloom tah set up the apple stand on her own this time, since she’s getting closer and closer to marehood. Ah thought that she was mature enough to do this on her own for the first time, and she is!” She sounds extremely proud of her younger sister. “But this isn’t about her...”

“Aww.” Complains Applebloom.

“...this is about trying to figure out what Dusk really did.” He could see the determination in her eyes.

‘She’s not gonna give up, is she...’

“So Dusk, do ya’ think tha’ you could repeat your explanation for me again?”

“Um... sure... ‘When I first arrived at the farm, I saw Applebloom run out of the orchard, and towards the town at around 6:50am. It was after Mac woke you two up, and when you exited your house. Anyway, when I saw her run towards Ponyville, I was confused as to why she needed to go to the town so early. And so to pique my curiosity, I chose to follow her, just to make sure that nothing bad would happen to her.’”

“HOLD IT! Could you better explain what ya’ saw when we left the house?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” ‘What is she planning?’

Dusk begins his updated explanation. “When you three exited the farm house, I saw Applebloom excitedly run out first, and you walked out second. Big Mac came out about a few moments later. Anyway, when I saw her run towards-”

(Stop Music)

“OBJECTION! There is ah contro- contri- con-, lie in your statement. You said tha’ you followed Applebloom when she ran out of the farm, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Tha’ must mean tha’ one of your statements is ah lie! (Change Music)

You see, you said that you followed Applebloom out of the farm so you could watch her, but at the same time, ya’ told Big Mac that you needed tah’ have a break as well. That’s impossible.”

“OBJECTION!” Yells out Dusk, “Not impossible. You see, when Applebloom was about to leave the orchard, Big Mac told me to leave the farm so I could do something for him. And so before doing the task that Big Mac wanted me to do, I decided to follow Applebloom to ‘pique my curiousity’ like I said before.”

She shakes her head, “Ah’m mighty sorry Dusk, but ah’m afraid that you dug yourself in an even deeper hole than before.”

‘Oh no...’ (Change Music)

“You said tha’ Big Mac came out of the house ah few moments after me and Applebloom, and that alone proves that you lied, since Applebloom had already left when Big Mac came out of the house. So-”

“OBJECTION! D-Do you have any proof that Applebloom had left before I talked to Big Mac?” Dusk began to get really nervous.

“Ah was there, and ah know for ah fact that she was gone before Macintosh left the farmhouse.” She says defiantly.

“OBJECTION! I need proof, not memories.”

“OBJECTION! Ah am proof. Remember, ah am the Element of Honesty. Ah’m ah terrible liar, and do ah look like ah’m lying right now?”

“...No...”

“And even if you did talk tah’ Big Mac before she left, you wouldn’t have caught up to her, you two would’ve talked for too long, and she’d be long gone by then. So tell me... which statement was ah lie?"

[*SHATTER SHATTER* 1 Psyche Lock Remaining] (STOP MUSIC)

Dusk is now starting to get quite stressed, and he is a lot more pissed off than he was before. “Okay fine, you want the truth, you’re gonna get it. (Cue Music) I completely lied about following Applebloom, and the only reason why I knew about her setting the stand, is because I guessed; I took a wild stab in the dark. Anyway, I did talk to Big Mac, but not about taking a break, or wanting to leave so I could eat breakfast. I cannot tell you the reason why he sent me into town.”

“HOLD IT! *slam and point* Tell me the reason he sent you into town!”

“I can’t! It’s a rather-”

“OBJECTION! He is mah brother, and ah need to know about-”

“HOLD IT! Why is this important? Why do you need to know what your brother wants me to do?” He is hoping that she doesn’t have a good reason.

“...Because I need to know!” She is starting to get desperate.

“No you don’t.” [Spirit Reduced to 45%]

‘Can’t you just let it go Applejack?’

“Yes ah do Dusk, and ah have proof to show you, proof that will force you to tell me his reasons.” She didn’t sound too sure of herself, but she still spoke with vigor.

“Okay, then. What is it that you need to show me?” He is actually quite curious to see what she will come up with.

“TAKE THAT!” She hoofs him a second red apple.

“Why are you giving me another apple?” Now he was truly confused as to what she is planning.

“It’s not the apple ah’m tryin’ to show ya’.. it’s... it’s...”

“Do you even know why you are showing me this?”

“...No.” [Spirit Reduced to 15%] (Stop Music)

They both remain quiet for a few moments, before she starts to speak to Dusk again. “Ah have nothin’ Dusk. Ah give up, you win.” [Spirit Reduced to 0% - Psyche Locks disappear]

“Good, I have to admit that you put up a pretty good fight. You nearly convinced me to tell you everything, and that be wouldn’t good for him.” He truly enjoyed himself.

“You were pretty good too, and ah didn’t expect ya’ tah’ beat me.” She is no longer feeling annoyed by the fact that Dusk wouldn’t tell her anything. In fact, she actually seems seems slightly relieved.

“Speaking of which, why did we randomly yell out the words ‘objection’, ‘take that’, and ‘hold it’?”

“...Ah ...don’t know Dusk.”

Authors Note: In case you didn’t notice, that chapter was inspired by the Ace Attorney series. Next Chapter: Chapter 60: For Nothing Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 58 Minutes